Joe Cole has blamed 'pressure' for Manchester United playmaker Bruno Fernandes' struggles this season, though he believes the return of Cristiano Ronaldo has also been a factor.
The Portugal international enjoyed a brilliant first full season at Old Trafford and was integral to United's second-place finish in the Premier League. However, United have failed to build on their impressive league position and currently sit sixth, five points off the Champions League places.
Fernandes has come in for criticism in recent weeks. His failure to convert from the spot against Arsenal last weekend proved costly for Ralf Rangnick's side as Granit Xhaka scored shortly after his miss in the 3-1 defeat, and Cole believes the pressure is getting to the former Sporting Lisbon midfielder.
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"Bruno's what I like to call a high tariff player. He takes risks with the ball," he said speaking Coral. "He likes to be the player everything goes through and he's a tremendous footballer with great technical ability. But I think he's struggled, like all Man United players, with the pressure on his shoulders.
"The team isn't working this season," he continued. "I feel like Bruno operates a lot better when things are flowing through him.
"At the moment, obviously you've got (Cristiano) Ronaldo, and he becomes the pivotal point. Bruno is a rhythm player and needs things going through him and he'll take chances.
"When it doesn't work, then I feel like he struggles. It highlights the other side of his game, he's not an amazing presser, he's not physically good. He’s like a quarterback, he needs to be dictating the play."
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